Birds finally take flight

Manager Frank Robinson in the midst of Baltimore’s 21-game losing streak

Finally – 25 days after opening the 1988 season – the Baltimore Orioles win a game 36 years ago tonight, beating the Chicago White Sox 9-0 at Comiskey Park to snap their 21-game losing streak.

The Orioles start the season 0-6 before firing manager Cal Ripken Sr.

His replacement, former Orioles right fielder and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, then suffers through another 15 straight losses before the Orioles shut out the White Sox on a combined four-hitter by Mark Williamson and Dave Schmidt before a Friday night crowd of 14,059 on Chicago’s South Side.

Eddie Murray hits a two-run homer off Jack McDowell in the first inning for all the runs the Orioles need.

They add seven more before the end of the game, because with a 21-game losing streak you never can have enough runs.

That first victory of 1988 is followed by eight more losses in the Orioles’ next 11 games en route to a 4-29 start and equally disastrous 54-107 finish.

“It was like Opening Day all over again, except we won,” Orioles second baseman Billy Ripken tells the Baltimore Sun 36 years ago tonight. “Maybe we can pretend that this was Opening Day and forget all those losses.”